


More Than You Are, More Than I Was?

by badonkabazongas



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Backstory, Clover Ebi Lives, Family Fluff, Gen, Volume 7 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26633095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badonkabazongas/pseuds/badonkabazongas
Summary: ‘Blessed’ with the tantalizing semblance of good fortune from birth, Clover was belittled and remarked by everyone around him for only being able to succeed at anything due to his luck.Now holding the proud title of "captain of the ace-operatives", why does it feel as if there's still more to prove?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	More Than You Are, More Than I Was?

**Author's Note:**

> I want to give a huge thank you to @BrianneABanana for helping me beta reading this work as well as helping with ideas + title name! They're a fantastic writer, please check out their works as well on AO3! Another thank you to @glomestown on Twitter for also beta reading my work as well, please check out her amazing fanart!

As the captain of Atlas’s elite ace-operatives— _a position he could've never imagined in the past—Clover’s job is never truly over_. Around the clock, the young captain is sent back and forth for grueling missions between the high skies of Atlas and the more humbling city of Mantle below them. 

A position so great gives no leeway, placing Clover atop a heavenly pedestal of glory by those with expectations of nothing less than perfect for him. He’s showered with empty affection by the cheers of those in Atlas who know nothing about him—in turn becoming the very cold that clings to his uniform when he’s gazed by Mantle with envy and distrust.

With such a title comes a constant game of proving self-worth that has no ending in sight, followed by tentative and strenuous labor; none of which was new to him. ‘Blessed’ with the tantalizing semblance of good fortune from birth, Clover was belittled and remarked by everyone around him for only being able to succeed at anything due to his luck. Nothing was ever enough to prove his hard work. It was nothing more than " _sheer luck_ " that had gotten him so far in life in the eyes of so many. 

If Clover is proud of anything in his life, he's proud that he became the captain of the ace-ops out of his own volition and work ethic. Earning his respective right to protect the very places and people he values as home meant the world to him— _even if he wasn't valued in return_.

The playful attitude and confidence keeps him grounded in a position so demanding, yet he never once allows the title to go over his head. It wasn't a medal to be flaunted; Clover wears the title with pride, purpose and proof of his hard work. 

Time spent alone is scarce for Clover, due to the nature of his role. He relishes every moment he has alone, reminding himself that he's more than a walking good luck charm. 

The mission in the Tundra is yet another success—another expectation met.

After finishing his mission reports, he decides to step out of his quarters to clear his mind. The bright scattered moon in the sky cascades the kingdom in a cool, calming glow that puts Clover at ease. The chilling breeze calmly brushes against his cheeks as he wanders around the academy grounds. He welcomes the serene ambiance that comes with quiet walks alone.

Clover turns the corner, ready to head back before he hears faint sobs resonate in the distance.

“Is someone there?” Clover calls out, running towards the noise.

He’s met with a familiar blond haired boy sitting curled in on himself on a steel bench. The boy's arms wrapped tightly around his knees, face hidden from view. He quickly becomes aware of Clover’s presence and jolts in surprise. 

"O-Oh! Captain Ebi, I didn't see you there," Jaune responds weakly, rubbing his eyes with a balled up fist. 

Clover takes a seat beside him, a look of concern washing over his face, “Jaune, what’s keeping you up so late? _Also_ , Clover’s fine, no need to be so formal.” 

"R-Right, sorry about that _Capt_ -Clover. I’ll be heading back in soon, don’t worry about me,” Jaune sniffles, his gaze never meets Clover’s warm, emerald eyes. As Jaune stands to leave, Clover gently tugs at his arm and gestures him back to the bench. 

There's a visceral pained expression painted in the boy's sapphire irises that he's all too familiar with. _Loss and failure_. It's as if he’s staring at his own reflection and he feels his stomach drop.

Clover forcibly swallows and brushes it off quickly— _'you're here to support Jaune, not make him feel even more uneasy. Get a hold of yourself, Ebi'_ , he chastises himself.

“Jaune, you can go back after you tell me what’s wrong. You’re more than welcome to talk to me. We're leaders, after all. Tell me what’s on your mind. Maybe I can help,” Clover says affirmingly with a soft smile.

The blond haired boy seems to contemplate his decision for a split moment before seating himself back onto the bench with a torn look plastering onto his face. 

"That’s the thing, Clover: the whole leader thing. I feel like I'm not a good enough one. I just want to protect everyone, but what good is that if I’m not even strong enough to do that? I just— _don't know what to do anymore_ ," Jaune sighs and responds solemnly, eyes of frustration narrowing to the ground once again. 

Clover glances at him pensively, the words all too familiar. They’re both in a position of leadership that’s riddled with expectations of perfection. He feels his fists ball up to his sides and he doesn’t know why.

He tries to conjure up some encouraging message to motivate the young huntsman, words ready and rehearsed with confidence on his lips, but Jaune continues before he has a chance to speak.

“How do you do it, Clover?” Jaune’s gaze finally meets his, Clover’s wide gaze reflecting in the paladin’s exhausted, misty blues. “You’re such an incredible leader that leads your team to victory every single time. I’m not lucky, strong, or talented like you. I practice and practice, thinking I see progress, then I just fall flat again. _How can I be like you?_ ” 

The question hits Clover like a rough step onto a brake pedal, but he remains silent. He lets Jaune finish, understanding where the boy’s words stem from and holds no resentment. After all, Clover’s used to being told that his luck is the only reason for his successes, strengths, and abilities. 

_It still hurts even now_ , but Clover knows that bitterness and frustration better than anyone. He wonders why it still bothers him even now, despite proving himself with his current position.

“We lost the lamp because of me and I was supposed to protect it. I let Oscar get hurt, let him go _just like I did with Pyrrha…_ I should've done more, but I just _ran_ —gods I'm such a failure as a leader. I let everyone down," Jaune slumps back tiredly as his voice deflats, ready to hide his face once more. 

_‘I let everyone down’_ , the phrase clicks something in Clover’s mind and he chimes in.

“You shouldn’t put yourself down like that, you know.” 

Jaune’s eyes slowly widen, a pair of warm teal eyes and a soft smile glancing back at him.

Clover doesn’t even realize the empathetic expression that’s painted onto his face as he places a hand firmly onto the boy’s shoulder; the fist he’s been holding this whole time loosens.

Truthfully speaking, Clover isn’t the greatest at giving advice, but he feels the necessity to speak from his heart as he always has—words he wishes he could hear from someone else so he directs the message to himself as well.

"Jaune, I know what failure looks like and you’re far from it. It’s not about luck or strength, it’s about _perseverance_. You can have all the luck in the world, but it doesn’t mean that will get you what you want. I may have been born with luck, but that doesn’t mean I’ve _only_ depended on that to get by. _I…_ I’m the captain of the ace-ops because I worked hard to earn this position.

You don’t have to prove anything to the world. You getting all the way to Atlas and still wanting to protect what matters to you is living proof of your hard work and successes. You deserve to be a leader, Jaune. We run and fall a lot in life, but that’s how we live to see another day. Your friend is alive and so are your teammates. You did what you had to do to survive. Don’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone. Part of being a great leader is having a team behind you. You’ll just have to get the lamp back with all of us together,” Clover assures him, ending with his signature smirk.

Clover knows that words alone aren't enough to change someone’s perspective, but as he’s seen with Qrow, it’s a start. _‘Maybe this is a start for me too,’_ he thinks.

Night begins to fade in a descending gradient of navy to sky as the sun rises to illuminate the academy grounds. Clover peeks at his scroll for the time and grimaces with a forced smile. He turns his attention back to Jaune, tears rolling down his cheeks with a loss of words. 

Clover frets, stringing together a bunch of apologies for potentially hurting Jaune’s feelings. He’s about to say something when he hears someone approach them , “You two are up early. Wanna enlighten me on why Jaune’s crying, Clover?” 

Clover glances over to the tall man standing in front of them with feathered dark gray hair and arms crossed. There’s a look of judgement written all over his face. 

“Qrow, I didn’t do anything! At least— _I hope not_ ,” Clover reassures him.

Qrow still doesn’t look convinced, but he relents and goes to check on Jaune, hand ruffling his soft blond hair. 

He’s about to ask if the younger huntsman is okay before Jaune himself responds softly with a smile, “Thank you for all of that Clover, I really needed to hear that.” 

The two older huntsmen stare dumbfoundedly, speechless on what to say to each other. A moment goes by and they’re both smiling back in return, followed by Qrow rushing both of them to get back to their quarters for rest. 

Clover takes one final glance at the bench they left behind, feeling a strong urge to look back.

For a brief moment, he sees his younger self sitting where Jaune was on the bench, smiling thankfully back at him before he blinks and the memory fades away. Clover raises a questionable eyebrow then turns to wistfully stare at Jaune and Qrow walking down the hall, Qrow patting Jaune on the back followed by a trail of sniffles and laughter. 

It's moments like these that remind Clover of his own accomplishments and hard work. He’s made it to Atlas and proved to himself that he’s not just some good luck charm. Now he's able to impart true wisdom and advice to others just like he had with Jaune earlier this morning.

No matter what people have said and might continue to say about his abilities, he'll know the truth for himself.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to give Clover some more background as we never got to see more on the complexity of his character. This was incredibly fun and challenging to write.
> 
> Jaune and Clover are both my favorite characters in RWBY and having Clover give Jaune a pep talk on being a leader while having his own flaws was something I really wanted to write.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading my work! Please feel free to leave a comment and kudos, it really helps me out, thank you again!


End file.
